Alan Rowe Barbering in Honiton is the first business to sign up to Hospiscare’s Tub Club fundraising campaign.

The High Street barbers will be joining 29 other businesses to raise a whopping £15,000 to pay for the patient bathroom in the new East Devon Day Hospice. Each business will raise £500.

Alan Rowe MBE, of Alan Rowe Barbering, said: “The shop has always and will always support Hospiscare and the incredible work that it does for us all in East and Mid Devon.

“We’re proud of the way that Honiton has got behind this appeal and I’m sure that support will be echoed in other towns in the East Devon area.”

The new state-of-the art hospice is being built in King Street and will serve the communities of East Devon.

He added: “The East Devon Day Hospice is such a welcome development. The Exeter Day Hospice, I believe, takes 4,000 day patients a year. To have it built in Honiton means that people who would have to travel to Exeter from Axminster, Seaton, Colyton, Colyford, Ottery St Mary and other outlying towns and villages towards the Somerset border will be saved the stress and hassle of travelling to Exeter, with Honiton being a much more convenient trip for all.”

More than £50,000 has been raised towards the new day hospice.

Mr Rowe has praised staff members Samantha Knight, Jenny Lane, Sally Bowey, who have supported the local charity for a number of years with the help of customers. He said: “With the legendary support of our customers they have supported Hospiscare for the 20 years they’ve been working at the shop with me, donating their tips, supplying raffle prizes and taking part in fundraising events, which they continue to do.

“As so many of our customers have been supported by Hospiscare, either directly or indirectly, we all feel that in a small way we’re helping those who have supported us as well as the wider community.”

Read on to find out more about getting involved in the Tub Club campaign.